Expressing deep concern over mushrooming terrorism that had recently rocked both the countries, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari during their meeting on the sidelines of 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, unanimously decided to “battle terrorism together.”
Declaring re-opening of cross-border trade from October 21, the two Heads of India and Pakistan pledged to take stringent action against any terrorist element whether person or institution supporting terrorism.
A joint statement reads: “Violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the bilateral relationship and must be visibly and verifiably prevented. Both countries agree to take severe action against any elements directing or involved in terrorist acts.”
This was the first such meeting between the two leaders after Zardari's taking office of the Pakistan President earlier this month. Held at Millennium Hotel in New York, the meeting took place an hour after Zardari said that Pakistan would pursue the bilateral route for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
The two leaders discussed to take various ways for the peaceful and satisfactory solution of all bilateral issues including Jammu and Kashmir and also pledged to defeat forces that were trying to derail the peace process.
Both leaders agreed to work for an early and full normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and non-interference.
Singh and Zardari acknowledged that the India-Pakistan peace process despite entering in the fifth round has been “under strain in recent months” and decided to call a special meeting of the Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism next month.
The so-called composite dialogue encompasses eight issues of mutual interests such as the economy, border disputes and terrorism including Kashmir as well.
Dr. Singh also discussed the July 07 bombings of the Indian embassy in Kabul with Zardari, which the latter accepted to talk in the coming months of October during anti-terror talks. India had alleged the hands of Pakistan elements in the attack, which the Islamabad had denied. However, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousf Raza Gillani had later said to probe in Kabul bombing case after India provided enough evidence of involvement of ISI in the attack.
President Zardari reassured Prime Minister Singh that the government of Pakistan stands by its January 6, 2004 commitments of “not allowing its land to be used for anti-India or terror related activities.”
Indo-China meet
In another significant bilateral meeting between PM Manmohan Singh and Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the same day, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in civilian use of nuclear energy.
On the contentious boundary dispute plaguing bilateral ties, the two sides though dubbed it as a “complicated issue” but expressed “satisfaction over the progress made in recent times in resolving the border question.”
Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, after a meeting between Singh and Jiabao, told reporters that both leaders also agreed the special representatives of the two countries would continue talks for the peaceful resolution of the boundary dispute. They also decided to continue the consultations on the issue of climate change and trade.
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